Indian folklore refers to the traditional beliefs, customs, narratives, songs, dances, rituals, sayings, material practices and forms of knowledge that are created, preserved and transmitted among the people of India, primarily through oral and customary modes. The term “folklore” is derived from the English words “folk” and “lore”, meaning the knowledge or traditions of a people. In the Indian context, folklore is exceptionally diverse because India contains numerous linguistic, ethnic, religious, regional and cultural communities. It therefore cannot be understood as a single, uniform body of tradition. Rather, Indian folklore represents a vast and dynamic cultural field in which communities express their collective experiences, values, memories, identities and interpretations of the world. From the perspective of approaches to folklore, Indian folklore may be studied as both a cultural product and a process of cultural communication. The older text-centred approach concentrated on collecting and classifying folktales, myths, legends, proverbs, riddles, songs and other traditional forms. Such collections helped preserve valuable cultural materials, but contemporary folkloristics has moved beyond viewing folklore merely as survivals from the past. The functional, structural, contextual, performance and contemporary approaches examine how folklore operates within particular social situations and how people actively reproduce and transform tradition. Indian folklore includes a wide range of genres. Folktales such as stories of clever animals, supernatural beings and heroic figures are transmitted across generations. Myths explain origins, gods, sacred places and relationships between humans and supernatural forces. Legends are narratives associated with particular persons, places or historical events and often occupy a position between history and imagination. Ballads and folk songs express emotions, social experiences, love, labour, migration, devotion and resistance. Proverbs and riddles communicate practical wisdom and social values in condensed forms. Folk theatre and performance traditions include forms such as Nautanki, Tamasha, Yakshagana, Jatra, Bhavai and Therukoothu. Rituals, festivals, crafts, food practices, dress, agricultural knowledge and customary practices also constitute important dimensions of folklore. The relevance of Indian folklore can first be understood in relation to cultural identity. Folklore provides communities with symbolic resources through which they understand who they are and where they belong. Oral traditions preserve memories of ancestors, local heroes, sacred landscapes and community experiences. For many tribal and rural communities, folklore is closely connected with their collective identity. Folk narratives can distinguish one community from another while simultaneously creating a sense of solidarity among its members. Folklore is also an important repository of cultural memory. Written historical records often privilege rulers, institutions and major political events, whereas folklore preserves the experiences of ordinary people. Songs and stories may record memories of migration, famine, warfare, exploitation, ecological change and social transformation. Women's songs, occupational songs and community narratives can reveal aspects of everyday life that are absent from formal historical accounts. Consequently, folklore provides an alternative source for understanding Indian social and cultural history. The functional approach further demonstrates the relevance of folklore. Folklore performs social functions rather than merely entertaining people. Proverbs can teach appropriate behaviour, folktales